


Let Me Be Yours to Adore

by kinaesthetique



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angela enjoys not having to talk about whatever made her her day so bad, Angela is a sweet little cat, F/F, Pet Play, Satya enjoys having a quiet night with her kitty, but tender and sweet honestly, it bears worth repeating, non-sexual pet play, this is very domestic but a little odd i suppose, zero sexual content of any kind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25131151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinaesthetique/pseuds/kinaesthetique
Summary: Angela and Satya have unusually high stress professions, so what they do to relax often tends to be unusual as well.It doesn't matter what an outsider might think of their antics; it works for them both and that's all that matters.After a text from Angela, Satya prepares to host a stray cat for the night.
Relationships: Satya "Symmetra" Vaswani/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	Let Me Be Yours to Adore

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing all this niche, self-indulgent fluff and I figured I would share it.  
> If you're not fond of the premise, just uh, hit that back button. Thanks! ><;;

**Sunbeam**

_**5:38 am** I know they're interns but for the love of-  
_

_did they even allow you to get your stethoscope on before they started being ridiculous? **5:39 am** _

_**5:40 am** I keep my scope in the car, darling. _

_**5:40 am** Not in my office. _

_and yet my point still stands **5:41 am** _

_**5:41 am** Ah. _

_**5:42 am** Well, to answer your question, no. _

_stay strong. your guiding hand will help them be better surgeons in the future. **5:43 am**_

_**5:44 am** So wise, even when you should be sleeping_

_**5:45 am** Once more unto the breach for me. You go back to sleep._

_**5:47 am** Love you_

_love you too **5:48 am**_

Satya resets her alarm and goes back to sleep. She doesn't have to be up for a few more hours anyway.

* * *

The phone buzzes while Satya stands at her drafting table, indulging in one of two half-hour periods a day when she can set the company down from her shoulders. Right now she works on her own designs, cosmetically gorgeous prostheses. However, the vibration pattern means it's Angela, so Satya takes off her glasses and heads for her desk.

**Sunbeam**

_**3:33 pm** Satya, can I just be yours tonight? _

Satya reads the message again, a soft, bittersweet smile growing on her lips. It is Friday after all. They'd had nothing planned but a quiet night in. Therefore, nothing fundamentally changes.

_that suits me just fine. **3:34 pm**  
_

_i'll be home as soon as i can. **3:35 pm** _

_**3:36 pm** <3 _

* * *

_Jingle, jingle._

A bell rings out quietly as Satya unlocks the door to the small apartment she shares with Angela. Her girlfriend's shifts tend to end before Satya's regular hours, but the apartment is dark and silent.

Satya toes the door closed behind her and hangs her coat on the hooks just behind it. Her shoes go right into the rack. Setting her bag on the small table for that purpose and dropping her keys into the adjacent basket, she turns the light on, illuminating the foyer and dining area.

From there, she can see a new note on the kitchen fridge. She heads toward it, flipping switches as she goes, painting her path with fluorescent pools of light.

 _Satya sweetheart,_ it reads in Angela's messy scratch. _I'm afraid I'm working double shifts tonight. It was short notice but I made dinner for you, a favorite. It's in the crock pot. I already ate so don't worry about that._

Satya glances over to the crock pot on the counter. Sure enough, its 'keep warm' light shines brightly.

_I know it's not ideal. I'll be back in the morning to hold you tight and snuggle you close. Maybe I can convince you to spend a Saturday morning in bed for once?_

_See you soon._

Rather than signed, a perfect imprint of Angela's kiss covers the bottom quarter of the page. Satya presses her own lips to it, reveling in its grapefruit pink perfection. A slight hint of cherry wafts up from the paper.

She refolds the note and pins it to the fridge with one of their numerous magnets. There's lists, reminders, sticky notes, pens hanging from their own magnets with key chain loops, and even a small air plant. It's the type of clutter that suits them both: utilitarian with a dash of whimsical charm.

Satya grabs a glass from the cabinet and fills it with water from the fridge. Then she grabs a bowl and fixes herself a bowl of white chicken chili.

On the way to the living room, Satya snags the collar from the front doorknob. Its bell jingles softly as she settles on the couch with her food. Satya pulls one of the place mats from its shallow drawer in the coffee table, then places her glass atop it. She lay the collar next to it and her bowl of chili as well so she can properly tuck her legs beneath her.

A small flicker of movement catches her eye.

Beneath the coffee table, there is a cat. She is larger than most cats, even when curled up tightly as she is. Her long, soft blonde tail flicks restlessly in her sleep.

"There you are," Satya murmurs, sliding off the couch to kneel on the floor. The cat's ears twitch, but it's not until Satya reaches out and strokes her face that she opens her beautiful blue eyes.

"Nisha," Satya chides. "You only ever visit when Angela is gone. You know she would like you just as well, don't you?"

Nisha flicks an ear and stretches, long hair spilling over her shoulder as she rolls and adjusts on the carpet. She blinks slowly at Satya. 

Satya shakes her head fondly. "Very well. You know the rules. I must be able to hear you if you get into trouble."

Both Satya and Nisha know she is much too good of a cat to cause any trouble.

Nisha patiently holds still while Satya grabs the belled collar. She does rub her cheek against Satya's hand as she tries to fasten it around her neck. She almost drops it, tsking at the cat. Nisha just purrs.

Once the satin blue collar hangs properly from Nisha's neck, the bell and name tag, both silver, sit at the hollow of her collarbone. Nisha shakes her head, makes a satisfied _mrrp_ sound, and curls back up underneath the coffee table.

_Just as well._

Satya stands and looks around the small living room. The remote sits on the table, just within her reach. She scoops it up and settles into the soft cushions of the couch.

By the time she finds an interesting home improvement show, her chili has cooled to an edible temperature. Though the weather has been brisk, their apartment remains at a reasonable temperature. No need to sweat through her work clothes.

Halfway through her meal, Satya looks down to find Nisha staring.

"Absolutely not."

Nisha meows softly and paws at Satya's leg. Satya holds the bowl higher.

"Nisha, you cannot have my food. It isn't for cats." Satya explains patiently. She watches warily as Nisha's tail swishes. Her eyes narrow in annoyance. "Just because you refuse cat food does not mean you can have mine."

Nisha jumps onto the couch and sniffs in the direction of the bowl. 

Satya lifts it over her head and glares at Nisha. After a long stare down, Nisha makes one tight turn and begins to knead the cushion next to Satya.

Aside from an occasional sniff or glance, Nisha poses no additional threats to Satya's dinner. The television program finishes around the same time Satya does. She places the bowl on the coffee table, careful not to disturb Nisha. The cat twitches in her sleep as Satya resettles. For a moment, she thinks she'll wake but she just curls up and snuggles closer to Satya's calves.

They pass another hour this way. Satya strokes Nisha's head and ears, happily humming at the contrast of silky fur and soft hair. Nisha grumbles in her sleep and shifts occasionally. Her dreams sound unpleasant and Satya finds her mind wandering to what could have happened to bring this on.

In the year since Satya first met her, Nisha usually only visits once a month, rarely twice, for a single night. After a particularly horrific building collapse last November, Nisha stayed for seven nights straight. She slept, cuddled nonstop when Satya was home and yowled incessantly when she left.

However, Satya had checked all publicly available news sources once she'd received Angela's text and nothing pointed to any significant stress on local trauma surgeons. Whatever happened to bring Angela to this point was not public knowledge; Satya makes a point of not using her administrative relationship with the hospital to find more information.

Upon realizing where this train of thought has led her, Satya swears softly and glances at the nearest analog clock.

_Two minutes per hour._

That's the amount of time she's allowed to think of Angela as next to her and not on an imaginary double shift.

_Her hair is soft, clean even, but the circles beneath her eyes… so much darker than I have seen them in such a long time. I should have predicted this._

Satya allows her fingers to slide down to behind Angela's closest ear and trail along the edge of the non-invasive, neural interfacing. The appropriate cat ear twitches and flicks irritably as Satya traces along the edge of it, feeling for the gel adhesive. Judging by the degree of stickiness, she can approximate when it was applied.

_She took the time to cook and wash up, but not much else._

Satya strokes Angela's face, watching as she wrinkles her nose, deep in slumber. Though her legs are covered by pale cream leggings, her upper body only has a sports bra for warmth. This allows her spinal interfacing to breathe, preventing the temporary tail prosthetic from overheating.

Angela would appreciate a blanket. Nisha would not.

_She’ll tell me tomorrow. I needn’t worry. I will not worry._

Satya takes a deep breath and shakes her head decisively. Without even looking at the clock, she knows her time is up. Very carefully she extracts her lap from Nisha’s head and stands.

Still asleep, Nisha’s head lolls to the couch cushion. She jerks a little bit and stirs, meowing grumpily at Satya.

“Dishes must be done, sweetheart. No sense in attracting little pests.”

Satya turns off the television and heads to the kitchen. The jingling bell follows her. Nisha does her best to get underfoot while Satya puts away leftovers, does the dishes, and cleans out the crock pot. She meows, purrs, and headbutts Satya’s legs for attention. When she receives none, she sprawls out on the tile and takes up as much space as possible.

As a result, Satya can’t step in any direction. _“Nisha.”_

Nisha meows and stretches, utterly unperturbed by Satya’s stern tone. This calls for a more dramatic solution. Satya reaches behind her, feeling for the smooth metal handle of the kitchen’s designated miscellaneous drawer. She rummages around in it until her fingers close around a long, cool cylindrical object.

She points it at the floor just in front of Nisha’s face and flicks the switch. A small red dot appears. In an instant, Nisha jumps to all fours and pounces.

Satya moves the dot a short distance away, watching with amusement at how _wide_ Nisha’s eyes become. Her ears prick forward in attention and her tail swishes erratically. Her gaze follows the pinpoint of light as it travels slowly across the eggshell tiles. Just before it reaches the threshold between the kitchen and the living room, Nisha pounces once more and gives chase as Satya flicks the laser dot further into the living room.

Nisha barely seems to care that she’s jumping on and off the couches and chairs, back into the foyer to slip on the tiles, and squeezing beneath the coffee table. After a few minutes, Satya allows her to _catch_ it- that is to say, she shuts off the laser just as Nisha pounces, leaving the cat to wonder where the little dot went.

Kitchen cleared, Satya starts the dishwasher and refills her water bottle. When she finally turns away from the counter, Nisha is sitting just outside the kitchen, tail swishing as she stares at Satya.

Nisha slow-blinks.

“I love you too, silly one,” Satya crouches down and scratches her with her free hand. “But you will have to entertain yourself for a little while.”

Nisha follows her to the bedroom and makes a mess of the bed while Satya gathers her preferred pajama set from her dresser. She rolls her eyes at Nisha writhing, rolling, and attacking a decorative pillow.

_At least she doesn’t shed._

Satya steps into the master bathroom and begins her Friday night routine. Disrobe, brush teeth while running the bath water, cover her hair-

_Thump, thump, thump._

Satya pauses, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Very slowly she turns to look at the bottom of the door.

 _“Miauw!”_ Nisha cries. Her meows quickly become a steady caterwaul as she begins to desperately try to break into the bathroom again, shaking the door in its jamb.

“Nisha, you do not like water!” Satya rolls her eyes. If she opens the door, she will begin the will-I-won’t-I dance, complete with the lovely panic of a stray cat trapped in a room with running water.

_“ME-AUOW!”_

Satya bites her toothbrush and swallows a smile. She opens the door a crack. Nisha pushes it open and shoulders her way into the bathroom. Without so much as a mew, she leaps onto the toilet and settles on its carpeted cover. Satya stares at her in shock, slowly closing the door again. Nisha doesn’t begin to yowl or panic. She doesn’t do anything for a long moment.

Then Nisha headbutts Satya at the waist and begins to purr.

Satya blinks in surprise.

Aside from the occasional friendly swat or headbutt, Nisha does not interrupt her routine. In fact once Satya sinks beneath the bath bubbles, the cat just stretches out on the plush bathroom carpets and begins to doze off.

_I suppose it has been several visits after all… I suppose she trusts that I won’t splash her._

It takes all of her strength to avoid following Nisha into dreamland just yet. Before the water grows cold and cloudy, Satya takes care to clean properly and relax. After a brief rinse and draining the tub, she wraps herself in a soft cornflower blue towel. Nisha resumes her perch on the toilet, tail flicking lazily. Satya completes the rest of her bedtime tasks without interruption: prosthetic maintenance, lotion, hair care, pajamas.

Pressing against her legs, Nisha follows after her as she leaves the bathroom. Satya turns back the covers and crawls beneath them, snuggling into the warm sheets and heavy duvet. It’s another moment before she remembers to turn the light off, sitting up and reaching for the chain. In the darkness, she curls up with a pillow and listens to the gentle whir of the apartment’s heater coming on to fight off the cold night.

Just as she’s beginning to drift off, Satya hears a little _mrrp_ of interest.

Moments later, Nisha leaps onto the bed, narrowly missing Satya’s legs. The mattress sinks and warps as she moseys around the queen-sized mattress. More than once, her tail slaps Satya in the face as she explores. Finally, Nisha settles down right next to Satya’s knees and begins to knead the duvet, purring softly.

“Good night, Nisha,” Satya murmurs. She reaches out in the approximate direction of the cat and Nisha bonks her hand with her head. Satya gives her a few scratches before pulling her hand back beneath the blankets.

Loud purring follows Satya into her dreams.

* * *

Gentle humming wakes Satya almost as much as the weak winter sunlight filtering through the blinds. Angela is a soft warmth at her back. Satya reaches for the hand that absently rubs her tummy and intertwines their fingers.

“I always regret the laser pointer in the morning,” Angela mumbles, snuggling into Satya, “but it’s just _so_ much fun.”

“It is quite fun for me as well. You are a _very_ silly cat. Though I’m thankful you don’t hurt yourself.”

“Sore muscles don’t count?”

“They do not.” Satya rolls over and kisses her girlfriend softly. Between them, Angela's bell rings out until Satya unclasps the collar. She sets it aside. Angela will remove the feline prostheses herself later, if she hasn’t already. Satya’s too wrapped up to notice.

Angela pulls Satya into a hug, kissing her back with a measured blend of passion and gentle adoration. “Thank you."

"Mmm, of course," Satya replies, burying her face in her girlfriend's shoulder. “The pleasure is all mine.”

“So, now that it’s morning, what can I do for you?” Angela strokes Satya’s hair with soft, even motions. “Do you have designs on breakfast?”

“I was actually thinking we could have that late morning you suggested. It’s been a long week for us both.” Satya closes her eyes again and snuggles deeper into her girlfriend's embrace. It’s warm under their blankets and Angela’s hands are soft and perfect on her. There’s no reason to move.

“Sounds lovely,” Angela giggles. "But I _did_ get the stuff to make those lemon drop pancakes you like…"

Satya opens one eye and peers up at Angela. "Maybe not _quite_ as late of a morning as I originally imagined."

Angela kisses her soft and sweet. "Of course, _liebling._ Whatever you'd like."

**Author's Note:**

> I have another one of these in mind for Satya, but I'm still chewing on it. I hope you enjoyed this in the meantime, though!


End file.
